Matt Holt v Paul King: Who’ll reign supreme in the Premier League?

After a profitable week all round on the Champions League fixtures, Matt Holt and Paul King are back to do battle with their Premier League tips.

Matt Holt returned a respectable £27.21 profit after four of his five selections sailed home, including his ‘best bet’ of over 2.5 goals between Celtic and Man City.

Paul King took home the crown though, with a tidy £45.75 profit after three of his five selections won at significantly higher prices than Matt’s.

If you didn’t get involved last week, the rules are simple.

Each tipster will pick four bets to stake £10 on and one ‘best bet’ to stake £30, with the only condition being that at least one of the bets must be above Evens.

Will Paul make it 2-0 this weekend, or can Matt draw level?

PAUL KING

Tottenham v Man City

First Team to Score 2 Goals, Man City

£30 @ 6/4

I’m not even going to bother digging into the stats for this one – I think it’s pretty obvious why I’m siding with Man City.

Pep Guardiola’s side look unbeatable at the moment and they have blown away the vast majority of their opposition so far this season.

I don’t see this match playing out any different to previous weeks, so I’m going to go for the generous looking 6/4 that Ladbrokes are offering on Man City to score two goals first as it offers a slightly greater price than over 1.5 team goals.

Everton v Crystal Palace

Everton Over 1.5 Team Goals

£10 @ 4/6

Alan Pardew’s men have enjoyed a really good start to the Premier League season with wins over Sunderland, Middlesbrough and Stoke, but a recurring theme in their matches has been the inability to keep a clean sheet. I think this is something Everton can take full advantage of.

Although they weren’t firing straight against Bournemouth last weekend, Everton have previously looked full of life and, more importantly, goals.

I think Lukaku and Co will score more than once as they host Crystal Palace, so I’m going for over 1.5 Everton team goals.

Burnley v Arsenal

Arsenal to Score in Both Halves

£10 @ 11/10

Burnley are coming off the back of an impressive win and clean sheet against Watford on Monday night and confidence will be high, so Arsenal know this will be no walkover.

The likes of Alexis Sanchez, Theo Walcott and Mesut Ozil will be desperate to make their chances pay and I think this will lead to two or three Arsenal goals.

The Gunners have scored two or more goals in their last four Premier League matches, so I don’t think it’s asking too much of them to bag one in each half this weekend.

Leicester v Southampton

Both Teams to Score

£10 @ 8/11

The reigning Champions (it still sounds weird to say that) take on Southampton on Saturday afternoon, and I’m expecting to see goals flying in at both ends.

Leicester have scored in their last four Premier League matches, including consolation goals against Liverpool and Man United in matches where their defence looked really shaky.

Southampton have matched that record, scoring in their last four against Sunderland, Arsenal, Swansea and what can only be described as a demolition of West Ham.

I was tempted to take a chance on something like over 3.5 goals, but I’m going to play it safer and go for both teams to score at 8/11.

Swansea v Liverpool

Liverpool to Win and Both Teams to Score

£10 @ 7/4

Liverpool’s attack has been blowing teams away in recent weeks, and a Swansea side who didn’t really replace Ashley Williams over the summer could be in real trouble.

Liverpool have already scored 16 league goals this season, but the worrying thing for Jurgen Klopp is that they have also conceded a whopping nine, which is more than any other side in the top half of the table.

Swansea don’t have too much firepower going forward, but with the likes of Sigurdsson and Fer they always have a chance of bagging a goal on the counter or from a set piece.

MATT HOLT

Everton v Palace

Both Teams to Score

£10 @ 8/11

Everton have scored in all but one of their Premier League games so far this season, including all three at home.

Both Teams have scored in two of their home games, though it should be all three but for some questionable Stoke finishing.

After failing to score in their first couple of games, Palace have found the net in four straight league games. Coincidentally, so have their opponents. Palace’s last four have seen 15 goals, with 10 coming from The Eagles.

In their last three meetings at Goodison, both sides have found the net.

Swansea v Liverpool

Liverpool to Score in Both Halves

£30 @ Evens

Liverpool have enjoyed a fruitful season in front of goal so far. The Reds have scored 19 goals in eight matches, bagging either side of half-time in five of those games.

After a positive close to last season and a good result on the opening day of this, Swansea have regressed back to being the side that saw Garry Monk sacked.

Aside from Gylfi Sigurddson, the Swans lack options going forward, while the loss of Ashley Williams at the heart of their defence will sting.

They’ve conceded in both halves in three of their last four Premier League games.

Hull v Chelsea

Over 2.5 Goals

£10 @ 4/6

It’s fair to say that Chelsea’s defence has been anything but solid so far this season. All eight of their games have gone over 2.5 goals, including conceding 13 goals in that time.

Hull have seen a similar trend, in which five of their eight games have gone over and they’ve conceded 10 in their last three.

I expect to see some goals at the KCOM Stadium, with some seriously poor defences on show.

Manchester United v Stoke

Manchester United Over 2.5 Team Goals

£10 @ 5/4

With the amount they spent this summer and the superstar talent on show, things have got to come good at Old Trafford sooner or later.

Hopefully, it’s sooner. Mark Hughes’ Stoke have been atrocious so far this season, they’ve conceded four goals on three separate occasions already this season.

The Potters have the worst goal difference in the Premier League and I can’t see that getting any better in front of an Old Trafford crowd expectant of goals.

Tottenham v Manchester City

Manchester City Over 1.5 Team Goals

£10 @ Evens

I remember last season when City went to White Hart Lane and many were expectant of a big result for Pellegrini’s side.

It wasn’t to be and Spurs battered them, kick-starting their own season and spelling the beginning of the end for City under the Chilean.

I can’t see Guardiola making the same mistake with this free scoring City side he’s assembled.

City have scored two or more in 10 of their 11 games so far this season and I fancy them to make it 11 out of 12 here.

Fancy putting these selections together?

All 5 of Matt Holt’s tips to win @ 25/1

All 5 of Paul Kings’s tips to win @ 40/1

How are the bookies calling the battle?

Matt Holt v Paul King – who will win more money?

Matt Holt 8/11

Paul King Evens

Click here for ALL of the bets mentioned above and join in the conversation via @Ladbrokes and @TheOddsBible!

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing